


A Piece of Sky

by summerartist



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-24 04:10:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21093179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summerartist/pseuds/summerartist
Summary: The Doctor and Wilf give each other priceless gifts.





	A Piece of Sky

**Author's Note:**

> (I might have stretched time and events for the sake of fluff. Also, the Doctor hasn’t told Wilf his age yet.)

Wilf was out stargazing late tonight atop his usual hilltop in the brisk weather. Truthfully, the Doctor’s words had disturbed him greatly earlier that day. The Doctor was a man of incredible and incomprehensible things, but the foretelling of his end was an impossible pill to swallow. The Doctor reminded him a great deal of himself when he looked that age, down to the carefree and idealistic attitude. To see that young face so lined with anguish…

Wilfred was glad to be with the stars at last, his constant companions every night. But tonight they seemed further away and they faded into the inky blackness around him. He sighed and wondered if bringing his telescope up on top of the slope had been worth the trouble. Maybe he should just try again tomorrow.

Wilfred had just resolved to head back to the house when he heard a familiar sound. The whirring of the blue box brought a smile to his face. So, it seemed that the Doctor had not been so distraught earlier as to head off on his own. Wilf was glad of it.

“Ah! ‘Ello! Come back, have you?” Wilf called out to the vessel as he trotted up to it.

He treaded carefully over the lumpy ground and he waited for the Doctor to emerge. When the blue box opened the Doctor only poked his head out.

“Wilf, go grab your telescope,” the Doctor told him seriously.

“Wha- Why?” That wasn’t the greeting he was expecting but far from the strangest thing he had heard from him.

The Doctor’s gaze darted around as if seeing if there was anyone else within earshot. Seemingly satisfied that they were alone, he hissed, “Surprise.”

Wilf swiftly did as the Doctor requested, not thinking much about it except for experiencing a general buzz of excitement. Was the Doctor off on one of his adventures? Had he finally figured out how to stop the Master?

The Doctor ushered him into the box and took the telescope from his grasp. Before Wilf could get a good look around, he felt his eyes being covered over by young palms with long fingers. The childish behavior from the alien startled him slightly.

“What are you up to?” Wilf asked.

“You’ll see,” the Doctor promised. “Voice controls, activate pre-entered coordinates- and shut the door.”

The Tardis doors snapped shut while the Doctor kept his hands over the human’s eyes. “I promise I’m not abducting you, Wilf. Well...slightly. Well...technically, but I’m bringing you back.”

The Doctor’s attempts to reassure him only made him chuckle. He recognized the almost vibrating energy coming from the Doctor’s voice and the way he kept his hands over his eyes. The alien was excited, at least on some subconscious level that allowed him to shake off his earlier gloom.

The Police Box made sort of a whirring and whooshing sound all around him. The vessel vibrated and groaned as if traveling at high speeds without directly effecting its passengers. Wilf marveled at how steady it felt, which made logical sense considering how often the Doctor traveled in it. It was like he was standing on someone’s back porch, only lightly airy feeling.

When they touched down, the Doctor ordered the doors open again. A warm breeze wafted in and the Doctor gently turned him towards it. He uncovered his eyes. Wilf took a step forward, blinking. The scenery before him was not unlike the landscape he had left, only everything was slightly bluer and warmer.

“Here, step out and enjoy for a bit. I’ll grab your telescope,” the Doctor told him.

Wilf stepped out on automatic, gazing around at the night and the soil beneath him. By his feet there grew small leafy plants. They were such a deep blue hue he thought it might have a been a trick of the light, but when his shoes brushed up against them the leaves remained unchanged.

He heard the Doctor sidle up to a position beside him. “This continent’s still uninhabited by the populace. Only insects, avians, and smaller life forms occupy this section.”

Wilf would have turned to his companion but he was too busy scanning the sky. He was trying to find landmarks, possibly a pale blue dot somewhere up there. He felt a slight pressure on his elbow and he turned to face the Doctor. The alien’s smile did not quite reach his eyes.

“We’re far away from Earth. You can’t even see Andromeda or the Milky Way with the most advanced technology from here,” the Doctor informed him.

Wilf suddenly felt like he had to sit down. He was looking up at an alien sky with constellations never before seen by mankind. The enormity of it felt like someone had cracked an egg over his head. A cool feeling trickled down his neck and he shivered. Astronomers would kill for an opportunity like this. Yet here he was, a doddery old man with his secondhand telescope.

He gave a serene smile from beside the Doctor. He soaked up the starlight, processing the entirely new constellations for as far as the eye could see. The Doctor could not have given him a greater gift than a piece of the sky.

“Thank you. Oh, thank you.”

Wilf reached over and gave the time traveler a squeeze. The Doctor smiled in turn and patted his arm.

“I’ve set up the telescope for you. I’ll go grab something to chart with. Might as well make a map to remember the view by.” The Doctor walked back to the Police Box to retrieve some of his charting tools along with pen and paper.

Wilf puzzled over the Doctor’s behavior and his reason for suddenly embarking on this trip. Wilf appreciated a surprise gift as much as the next person, but something about this felt peculiar, as if the Doctor were atoning for something. He sighed. He had the option of bringing it up with the young man, but Wilf did not care for causing discomfort. He resolved that they would simply enjoy this moment instead.

Together, they charted the stars and swapped stories during the timeless night. They created names for new constellations and the Doctor told him about space phenomena that humans had not yet discovered.

Wilf marked in a constellation that was rectangular in appearance and called it the Little Blue Box in the map key without a moment’s hesitation. The Doctor noted his decisive movement and came over to inspect his map. He said nothing, gaze unmistakably fond. If the later faces of the Doctor had traveled to such a spot to gaze upon the Little Blue Box constellation, no one was any the wiser. The Doctor would continue to treasure this moment for many years to come.

The End.

**Author's Note:**

> (Feedback is greatly appreciated. <3)


End file.
